Cinnamon bird ornaments

As I've mentioned before, the theme of this Christmas, for me, seems to be birds. Don't ask me why - I have no idea! I saw these super cute cinnamon bird ornaments in a Martha Stewart magazine, though, and I just had to make them. They are really easy to make and turn out very nicely with very minimal effort.

This is all you need to make the dough:
Cinnamon, apple sauce and craft glue.

You mix it all together,


and roll it out.


Then you cut out the templates (you can download the templates at the link I provided above)


trace around the template onto the dough and let dry for 24 hours. They mention in the article that you can bake them for 2 hours at 200 degrees in the oven. I did this for some of them and the ones I baked turned out much darker than the ones I air-dried. This affects the way the glitter and beads look, and I liked the look of the lighter dough better.

Anyways, after they're dry you use various colors and sizes of glitter and beads to decorate and voila you have some beautiful bird ornaments.






Stop by Wednesday Dec 3 to enter to win one of my favorite of these guys in my Christmas give-away #2!

Giveaway: Week 1 - Winner!

The winner of the scarf from giveaway #1 is... quitecontrary1977. Congratulations!

Thanks so much to everyone who entered this week. Don't forget to check back Wednesday for giveaway #2!

Give-away: Week 1

"I think winter wear is communal. You get some gloves and a scarf from a lost-and-found box, wash them, wear them for a while until you lose them. Then somebody else does the same thing."
~Adrian Grenier

But just in case you don't like that idea, then here's a brand new hand-knotted scarf for you to enter to win!

Made of super soft wool blend yarn, this scarf makes a great accessory for an outfit or to keep you warm on those fall or spring days when you just need a little extra warmth.

Just leave a comment describing your FAVORITE accessory and you'll be entered! Everyone is welcome! I'll gladly ship anywhere in the world if you're the lucky randomly chosen entrant. Just post by midnight CST Friday 11/28 for your chance to win. Be sure to include your email address or a link back to your own blog so that I can contact you if you win! The winner will be chosen in a random drawing and announced Saturday 11/29.

I'm looking forward to reading all about your favorite accessories!

Christmas giveaways

"For centuries men have kept an appointment with Christmas. Christmas means fellowship, feasting, giving and receiving, a time of good cheer, home."
~W.J. Ronald Tucker

In the spirit of Christmas, I've decided to take on a Christmas challenge. That challenge is:


...drumroll....


to have a giveaway every week between Christmas and Thanksgiving!

Every week, starting the week of Thanksiving (next week!) I will feature an item that you readers can enter to win. I'm going to try to make them christmas-y in some capacity - either a decoration, or something that would make a nice gift, or something that's decorated in christmas insignia, etc.

If the item is something you'd like to have or would like to give as a gift to someone else, then just leave a comment on that week's giveaway post to be entered to win!

Stay tuned, the first giveaway will be posted Monday!

Bookworm award

My friend Miss Linda of Threads of Loveliness nominated me for a bookworm award.

The rules of this award are:
-pass this on to 5 friends

-Open the closest book to you, not your favorite or most intellectual book, but the book closest to you at the moment, to page 56.
Write out the 5th sentence, as well as two to five sentences following that...

The book that is closest to me is The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger and the 5th sentence on pg 56 is:

"'You knew, you knew that was going to happen and you didn't say a word. Where is your sense of self preservation? What the hell is wrong with you? What use is it knowing the future if you can't at least protect us from humiliating little scenes-'"

And my 5 blog friends that I would like to pass this on to are:
1. (the new) Dr. K at Perpetual Entropy

2. Sue from Quilt, Sew, Sew Sue

3. Becky from Sew and So

4. Regina from The Queen Bee's Buzz

5.Caity from Caityquilter

Thanks Miss Linda!

Bloggers ornament exchange

"The love of ornament creeps slowly but surely into the female heart."
~Anna Maria Hall

I received my ornament from the blogger's ornament exchange today. Check it out!



I love it! I do hope she likes what I sent her too...
**actually feeling a bit nervous about it**

Back to the Future Wednesday

"Once again, we come to the holiday season, a deeply religious time that each of us observes, in his own way, by going to the mall of his choice."
~Dave Barry

While I too will be going to the malls this holiday season (heaven help me) to buy presents this year, I'm also making some presents as well. I don't have all the details worked out just yet, but I have a few ideas in mind. Alas, I cannot post them here at this time because the people I will be making them for may read this. But I can show you the supplies I have bought so far.

These came in the mail yesterday:



an assortment of glitter and beads from the Glass Glitter and Beads Store. They are having a fabulous 15% off sale right now with the coupon code HOLIDAZE3! Looking at that picture makes me realize I didn't really buy a very colorful assortment, but they are they colors I need (I hope) for my crafting.

Next I bought these supplies from JoAnn's and Winn Dixie tonight.

2 skeins of yarn, multi-purpose craft glue, pearly blue beads and parchment paper.

Now all of these supplies will not necessarily be used together (I bet you're thinking "thank goodness for that!") But they will all be used in some craft or another this holiday season.

*note - during the Christmas holidays this sewing blog will also feature non-sewing crafts*